Saying that the onion yield this year is expected to be lower, the Centre on Wednesday expressed its helplessness in controlling the rising prices of onions, which crossed Rs 60 per kg this week in Delhi. Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the production this year was expected to be lower since the area under onion cultivation had reduced to 1.90 lakh hectares in 2017-18 from 2.65 lakh hectares in 2016-17.